The Renovator: Origins

About

"The Renovator: Origins" is a first-person psychological horror game where you explore a museum and uncover the mysteries of art and your father's tragic death. The game features detailed environments, environmental interactivity, and random events, with a focus on hidden objects and puzzle-solving. Players will experience a blend of present time and the USSR of the 1960s, with the ability to enter the world of art and partial non-linearity in gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 45 reviews

story7 positive mentions

stability3 negative mentions

The game has a great atmosphere and is visually impressive, showcasing the effort of a solo developer.
It features unique puzzles and a compelling story that keeps players engaged throughout the experience.
The jump scares are well-executed and contribute to a genuinely scary experience without being overused.

Many players found it difficult to determine which objects are interactable, leading to frustration and confusion.
The game suffers from technical issues, including freezing and glitches that can hinder progress.
Some players felt that the lack of guidance and unclear objectives made the gameplay experience frustrating and tedious.

story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
37%
19%
The game's story is praised for its depth and intrigue, effectively blending horror elements with engaging puzzles and a captivating atmosphere. While some players found the narrative occasionally unclear, the overall consensus highlights a well-crafted plot that enhances the gameplay experience, making it particularly enjoyable for fans of story-driven horror games. However, the need to replay the game for different endings due to save point limitations was noted as a drawback.
- “I had so much fun being completely terrified in this game and following the story.”
- “The story was very in-depth... and the game itself was a fun time to play.”
- “It's been a while since I've played a horror game that had an original engaging story... and you'll find it within Renovator.”
- “Why was the item in there and how would someone ever find out without any backstory.”
- “- although it's obvious the creator cared about the story, I think it still was a bit unclear, and not necessarily intentionally.”
- “A simple understanding story and a concept that held your curiosity.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
90%
10%
The graphics in the game have received widespread praise for their quality and artistic aesthetics, with many users highlighting the impressive character models and overall visual presentation. The game features a mix of realistic and stylized environments, contributing to an engaging experience across various scenes and settings. Overall, players find the graphics to be a standout aspect, enhancing the gameplay and immersion.
- “The game is graphically beautiful, and some of the aspects of the game, like the artistic sections within the levels, were extremely refreshing and new.”
- “This game has some insanely realistic graphics, a phenomenal horror experience taking place in different museums, haunted houses, and trippy pastel sketch lands. This is a must-play horror game; I absolutely loved it and will seek out the good ending in the near future!”
- “Everything is nicely presented, from the graphics, audio to the UI.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive quality, effective scares, and strong art direction, creating a captivating experience that enhances the storytelling. Players appreciate the balance of horror elements and engaging puzzles, contributing to a sense of intrigue and depth throughout the gameplay. Overall, the atmosphere is described as a standout feature that elevates the game's emotional impact.
- “There is a great sense of atmosphere and a few really effective scares that I did not see coming.”
- “+ great atmosphere, super immersive, the game has soul.”
- “The game looks very nice, the author has created an intriguing plot and knows how to create atmosphere.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
Gameplay in the game is described as immersive and engaging, featuring interesting mechanics like portals and a mix of puzzles and exploration. However, some players found it frustrating, particularly with certain mechanics that initially hindered progress. Overall, the game offers a unique experience but requires players to pay attention to important gameplay elements to avoid getting stuck.
- “It was a very immersive gameplay experience.”
- “This game is very good - interesting game mechanics such as featuring portals into different scenes and worlds, good graphics, and a great mix of puzzles and exploration.”
- “I had mixed feelings about the mechanic of the [spoiler]ring[/spoiler] at first, feeling I couldn't progress without it, but then I realized its existence prevents me from triggering things before I was ready or while I was doing another task.”
- “An incredibly frustrating gameplay experience.”
- “I had mixed feelings about the mechanic of the [spoiler]ring[/spoiler] at first, feeling I couldn't progress without it felt poor, but then I realized its existence prevents me from triggering things before I was ready or when I was doing another task.”
- “I really liked the game warning some very important gameplay warning that's important is to remember you can drop things from your inventory and those swinging lamps are important; I was stuck forever long.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with frequent freezes and inventory glitches reported by users. Players have experienced getting trapped in certain areas due to broken spawn locations, and the limitation of a single save file exacerbates the impact of game-breaking glitches.
- “Constantly freezes and the inventory is glitchy.”
- “Can get trapped in forest areas or other locations if the spawn point is broken or glitches.”
- “The game's limitation of only one save file, combined with game-breaking glitches, is a major drawback.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be a blend of scary and amusing, often leading to laughter after tense moments. This unique combination enhances the overall experience, making the game both thrilling and entertaining.
- “Scary but in a good way that you wind up laughing about it later.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The reviews indicate a notable absence of music in the game, which has been highlighted as a significant drawback by users.
- “The lack of music should also be mentioned.”
- “The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety.”
- “The music doesn't fit the game's atmosphere at all.”